Swallowed Pride
by Venus Gospel
Summary: Distress, frustration, hopelesness. Whenever aggression and anger strikes, damage is done. But every damage grants healing and changes. Lightning isn't perfect and she is aware of it while the rest of the group trusts her blindly. However, impulsive actions corrupt the party's trust into her leading qualities. There seems to be only one she can rely on. Fang x Lightning. On-going.
1. Chapter 1

„Stay together. You'll never know what's going to happen in this place…"

Lightning's voice sounded low yet firm as she went on, leading the group through a canyon where they just had filled up their water resources. This place… how did Fang call it? Vallis Middia? The soldier had never seen anything like this before, not in her entire life. With sharpened senses and a collected trot, she watched her environment closely; not only did she take care of anything that would startle her instincts, she also used this occasion to adore bold cliffs, water that rushed down ancient rocks with an enormous roar that covered everything in reach with a fine spray of fog. The air was cool and moist, a real pleasure compared to the dry and burning heat they had to deal with in the past days.

The pink haired woman had to admit, some things changed inside her mind as they passed the nearly endless plains, entering the gulch. No matter how small and impassable it had appeared from upon, as soon as her first steps led her into untamed wilderness, cut by rivers and streams… she couldn't help it but to be awestruck and deeply stirred. Yes, this place had been so much more different than Cocoon; So much more rebellious and wild. She could see how much it had formed the two Oerban women.

The noise of crunching gravel under their shoes rang in Lightning's ears as her gaze wandered from left to right, over her shoulder from time to time. Fang and Snow followed closely, Vanille and Hope a little behind while Sazh decided to bring up the rear. Of course, he wouldn't only investigate whatever would lurk behind their backs – the female soldier knew that the man needed to pace himself, so there was nothing wrong with his decision. This canyon, as marvellous and powerful as it presented itself to the travellers, could have become nothing else but a death-trap. Once the group would run into their ruin, getting attacked by multiple creatures, there was no way out. For a single moment, Lightning listened. She closed her eyes, allowing the sounds of nature to embrace her, taking her in. The woman's sense of hearing was an exceptional trait on her; she never had any trouble to separate common soundscape from something more… unusual and threatening. But right now, everything was lulled in peaceful silence; a cool breeze tugged pink colored hair, twisting it in playful ways. Even with closed lids, the soldier sensed the tree branches moving in the wind. The contrast of light and dark before her inner eyes changed constantly.

"Hey, sis! No daydreaming!"

The soldier felt a light bump against her back and revolved in an instant. Of course, she should have heard Snow's steps pacing up to make fun of her. Being caught that off-guard. How embarrassing; the others wouldn't have noticed and thought of that action as some… funny sort of joke. The woman, however, didn't. If even a clumsy and LOUD person like the leader of NORA was able to literally jump her, then what about other soldiers? Or even monsters? She really grew paranoid over the matter and her senses heated up. His poor attempt to actually tease her didn't make it better. Not at all.

"Don't call me that…", she groaned in response, her steel blue eyes met his gaze in an acidulous attitude. In response, she only earned an amused chuckle, arched eyebrows and lifted hands to mentally disarm Lightning.

"Now, now, don't kill me! Serah wouldn't be pleased about that!"

Serah. How… could he…

"Cut it out!"

Pupils dilated in remarkable fashion as she faced him. Yes, it had been still a touchy subject between them, looming over her and the man like a dark cloud. And Snow remembered the words of Lightning's sister way too clear in this moment.

'Lightning will never directly show her anger, but before she is going to shred someone, you can feel the electricity in the air.'

Electricity, she said? Hell yeah! Every inch of the soldier's body seemed to spark in a storm of agitation; not only a storm – but a hazard. Making a step backwards, the blonde nearly stumbled into Hope who reacted very confused about sudden change of terms. The whole group had paused and watched the upcoming discussion with greater or lesser interest.

"Wait, why are you so mad? I was just joking! Don't be so touchy all the time, si-eh… Light!"

Better start to deescalate the situation, he thought to himself, but… seriously, Snow? Appeasing the female soldier? Well, sounded like a nice attempt of suicide.

"Touchy. So… are you actually implying that I AM touchy over that subject? Over MY sister?"

"Well…," he started with a nervous undertone,"… being relaxed surely sounds… different. Right?"

Hope, who just stood frozen in place behind Snow, shook his head. Seriously, that guy… how pathetic was he? Didn't the blonde notice how much more he actually messed things up? A fleet glance into Lightning's direction told more than a thousand words could actually do. She was… no, not mad, already surpassing that state she became… furious, and that with every new word or phrase of that idiot. Maybe the soldier wasn't going to decapitate him, but that expression in narrowed, steel blue hues told as much. Words only grazed his mind briskly; the boy's focus was on her facial features, every change or twitch of muscles and nerves – but also on Snow's gestures. They were really at it. Their arguments were ALWAYS the same, as long as Hope could remember. He… had to do something! The only question was: What could he even do? The only thing he had been able to, was just standing there and watching things become REALLY ugly.

Lightning approached with a harsh move, pushing the man around who was way taller and more muscular then her. And he even let it happen, stumbling away from her fury, trying to save the situation with soothing words. But once the soldier marked a target as such, there wasn't much he could do.

"Lightning, I told you I'm sorry! I'll do whatever I can to make it right!"

She stopped in her movement, glaring. Her glance looked right through his, of course, standing still wasn't part of the woman's nature; she started to stalk around like a predator, sharpening her claws. Each step tossed up gravels and water, letting it spray into several directions. One hand started to tear her own hair, watching the bangs fall over her eyes and taking her sight for a few seconds.

"Sorry… Sorry. To HELL with that!" she started- her voice firm and filled with annoyance and hatred. Closing up the distance between them, Lightning pushed him with brutal force, not even allowing any other emotion than the ones that have taken over her already. Losing balance, Snow had no chance to get a grip, except on her. Helplessly, he reached out, grabbing a part of the soldier's cloak and tearing red fabric before his hind met the ground of icy water and rocks.

"YOU are just about the talking! What have you done until NOW to save her, SNOW? TELL ME! I only see your trap moving but it's nothing more than hot air!"

The fallen rebel coughed, cleared his throat while having his ass planted on the ground, eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. That… was something he didn't see coming. Well, he should have. Did Snow really expect that he could provoke Lightning like that and even get away with it? To be honest, no, he didn't. But… he realized that the push ONLY had been a warning. My, did the soldier already soften around the edges? In the very beginnings of dealing with her, she did her best in making his life a miserable pain in the arse, beating him nearly senselessly.

"As if you did better for now, Lightning…," he hissed in response, getting on his knees. The man didn't care anymore about the cold water, not about the rocks or the woman in front of him. God, he grew tired of her accusations.

"You didn't even believe her when she told you. In fact, you made your sister cry and run off! And now you really want to blame only ME? Bravo, now THIS is what I call great action taking place… grow up already!"

Snow clapped his hands in sarcasm, a move that went far overboard. Only a few seconds later, he felt her kick against his chest, forcing him back into the water. Coughing loudly, the blonde cringed, eyes narrowed to mere slits as he looked up, the shadow of the female soldier right above him.

"You don't like when someone stands up for the truth, right?"

Lightning's boot crashed against his chest once again, keeping him where he was. Her whole body was shaking; blinded by rage she clenched her hands to fists, not sure if she would shred him into tiny bits now or later. She raised her fist, ready to strike the one who was already on the ground, fixed by her weight. Snow shut his eyes tightly, deciding that the soldier should beat the hell out of him again – if it made her feel better, why not. The power of her punches surely did not matter in this case, since Lightning did NOT hit like a woman. Despite her rather fragile frame and slim features, she was trained. The blonde rebel didn't even need to open his eyes to examine her. Walking next to the pink-haired female had given him more than only one opportunity to study her build. She was a body of steel, a weapon; if necessary, a killing machine.

Snow waited for the first impact that never came. Instead, his ears sensed Hope's voice, hasty steps and splashing water. The weight on his chest was gone and the young man allowed himself to breathe deeply.

"IT'S ENOUGH, LIGHTNING!"

"It's not. Out of my way, Hope!"

Gripping the back of his head, Snow finally dared to blink and lifted his upper body. His clothes were soaked and he started to freeze, but the things that happened right before him caused the man to forget about any kind of physical irritation.

The silver-haired boy started to build up in front of him, spreading his arms widely. And even if the fragile looking kid was the type who'd rather run and hide, he protected HIM. - The one who caused his mother to die. That came… unexpected. Still… Snow's body was sprawled out on the ground, nearly in numbed state.

"No, Lightning. It's enough! He already paid for his actions, so… stop it already!"

Eventually, the rest of the party awoke from their paralysis.

"The kid is right! You kicked his ass hard enough."

Lightning twitched uneasily as she turned her attention away from Hope who used the little distraction to turn his back on her, extending his hand to help Snow getting back on his feet – right to the tall Oerban that approached her. It didn't even take a second to sneak up behind the soldier, gripping her tightly around waist and chest, pulling her away from the scenery.

"Let go, Fang. I'm not done yet!" the pink-haired female hissed, clenching her teeth. Her threat, however, caused the taller one to grin and let out a light laugh.

"You're done, believe me. Besides…," she paused and took that opportunity to turn Lightning around to face her, "…better save your energy for the evening, soldier! Once we reached the fitting spot to camp, we need to get some food. So why wasting your resources on him anyway? He's not worth it."

The female soldier shuddered lightly, but not from anger. This time, it got replaced by a tad of frustration, the feeling that Fang was the one in control of the situation – pinning her like some kind of… kid. Right now, she even felt like a helpless, little girl.

"Why do you even care? It's not your business," the pink-haired replied, her voice sounding throaty and low, almost defencelessly.

"You see that, soldier?"

Fang's hand crept along Lightning's chin, turning her face into the direction of the group that has built a crowd along Snow, giving him comfort and words of… understanding? The female soldier didn't understand what they were saying in the distance.

"It IS my business. Not even mine, but everyone else's in this group. We are a TEAM, Lightning! I don't care what issues you two got. Just make sure you carry out your differences elsewhere instead of demoralizing everybody!"

Even if the pink-haired female wasn't willing to listen – she did. Fang's voice had been close to her ear, snaking up into her system like a venomous serpent and somehow, the intentions of her companion made an impact deep into her heart. She… was right. Really? What kind of LEADER would act out so… unstable, so childish? But of course, Lightning wasn't the one who would admit her mistakes and apologize that easily. It wasn't only her who made that mistake. No, Snow also had to take a part of the blame. Without him, things would have never happened the way they did. Without him, she could have celebrated her birthday with Serah without the escalating fight. She even could have fulfilled her secret plan to take her sister on a short trip like it had been her usual intention.

The travelling brochures were still at home, right on the table, hidden in an envelope. Now, that Lightning's thoughts brushed this topic… it made her sad. All the plans of making up for neglecting and not spending enough time with her beloved sibling didn't have any value anymore. Who knew when Serah would awake of her crystal sleep? Fang and Vanille had been asleep for five hundred years!

She shook her head, disengaging herself from the female's grasp. That situation, no… everything had gotten a bit to her head. It was simply too much to bare right now. Lightning rubbed her hands, lifted her head and stared into the endless blue of Grand Pulse's sky line. So, could she actually go on like this and take the lead for this group, no matter what had happened just minutes ago? Her mind told her differently. Behave like a leader, think like one! Do, whatever seemed to be best for now, for the sake of this group!

"Fang? Vanille? You two take the lead for now. You know this place better than I do."

The tall Oerban beauty arched her eyebrows in slight wonder and confusion, viridian colored eyes fixing her. But eventually, Fang got the meaning, walking over to her younger companion. Seems like our soldier needs some time think, she muttered to herself, her lips warped into a knowing smile.

"Come on guys! Time to hit the road," she ordered, waving her lance as she turned and marched along, Vanille sticking close by her side. The crowd started to move, with Lightning at the rear – eyes narrowed and hands stuffed into the pocket of her medium length coat. The woman kicked some smaller rocks being in her way, lowering her head and tilting it to the side. There was NO time for sulking, damn it! She was a soldier! SHE was LIGHTNING! Not Claire, not anymore! She needed go get a grip on herself, for fuck's sake!

That's why sharing the responsibility for now sounded like the most logical option.

Who knew if walking at the natural stream channel had been a good idea in the first place? It had to be! All the spots offside the riverbank, covered by weeds, trees and bushes were an attractive spot for critters to hide. They could be everywhere, attacking the party out of the blue. Lightning paid attention to the front of the group, watching Vanille walking next to Fang. Both had a very content and relaxed body language. The soldier rolled her shoulders which felt awfully stiff, trying to ignore the cheering voice of the younger Oerban, followed by a husk laugh of the older one. How must it have felt to them? After so many years in crystal sleep… walking on homeland.

"I love it, Fang! Do you smell it? The air is so fresh and clean! It's like in my memories!"

The addressed woman tipped her head, offering a gentle look to her younger companion as she placed her hand on Vanille's slim shoulder.

"Yeah, I do. I'm really glad to be out of Cocoon," she sighed, stretching her lithe, well-toned forms as they kept on walking. "Surely was a mess up there."

Her index pointed into the sky, up to the planet floating above them like a threatening, ancient monument.

"Don't talk like that, Fang. It… wasn't that bad, right? Even after all that troubles in the beginning, we got along, right?"

Fang's gaze fixed the younger woman's smile and she couldn't help it but to grin as well. With a disarmed smile, she nodded eventually.

"Yeah. You're right."

-

Time passed by on their trip through the canyon and communication died down after some time. While Fang and Vanille were used to this terrain, the other members needed to save their breaths, subdividing their powers. Lightning, however, didn't feel out of energy or tired, compared to the rest. Her mind was occupied, racing madly and circling about one and the same topic. She silenced completely, listening to the running stream and hoping for some welcome relaxation which simply refused to roll over her. Punishment for her stupidity, right? She had learned her lesson for now, that was sure. Still… the members of the party didn't think so; they refused looking at her or talking. They had all their own issues and problems, so it had been only logical. So, she only kept on marching, reducing herself into being a functional machine, following blindly but still being aware of the things that could be sneaking up behind them, like some kind of invisible enemy.

Again, she was carried away by unnecessary thoughts. The whole situation left her being careless, a stupid move for someone as trained and skilled as her. What the hell was happening to herself? Seriously, the pink-haired woman couldn't bring up a decent explanation for it.

"Hey, soldier! Already cooled off?"

Bobbing her head hastily, Lightning noticed Fang next to her, a wide grin on her facial features. How… heck, why didn't she notice?

"… How long have you been walking next to me?" she asked, highly confused and out of composure, crossing her arms like a shield of protection.

The Oerban laughed.

"Hm… quite a while, I suppose?"

Fang's eyes gleamed in amusement while she watched her counterpart creating a wall around herself, not allowing her to enter that little world.

"Come on, just chill! I'm not going to bite you!" she continued, tapping the soldier's shoulder and earning a silent scowl in response. It was so funny, nearly… cute? My.

"I wouldn't let you bite me anyway…"

"I beg your pardon?"

Lighning furrowed her brows.

"Ugh… just forget it, ok?"

She quickened up her pace, trying to be on her own again. But the Oerban warrior knew what was going on, and it had been easy to keep up with that stubborn woman. Tugging the soldier's cloak lightly, Fang forced her to slow down this way. The look she received for her action caused the taller one to chuckle. Steel blue eyes glistened and gleamed in purest annoyance.

"Now, now, soldier. Chill a bit and shut down your defending system, ok? What's the deal anyway? Why are you so tensed and out of it?"

Lightning slowed down, dropping her shoulders. Could she really do this? Spilling out her sorrows and worries, just like that? No, she had been responsible for everyone. She could NOT allow herself to wallow in self-pity. But well, she already DID. So…?

"It's nothing," she answered eventually.

"Nothing, hu?"

Fang grabbed the woman's shoulder, turning her around – this time with more softness in her action than before.

"Doesn't look like 'Nothing' to me, if you ask me."

"But I didn't ask you."

The Oerban beauty sighed deeply, lowering her head as she looked down into steel-blue, troubled pools which reminded her of a clouded sky, uneasy and caught in a storm of emotions she couldn't handle well.

"Right, you didn't. But do you really call it 'Nothing' when you let out your anger on somebody else? Come on, Light, you can do better than THIS. Get a grip on yourself."

Now it was Lightning's turn to sigh, turning her head to the side and closing her eyes with a strained expression.

"Look, Fang," she started after a short span of silence between them, "… it's nice to know that you care, but I can take care of myself. Better go to Snow and lick his wounded pride."

Wait. What? Did she just hear that?

The Oerban warrior stopped and leaned her forms against her weapon, breaking out in roaring laughter. That was just too adorable, right?

"Soldier, don't cha worry about him! The others pet his ego well enough. I'm here to pet YOURS!"

Lightning only grimaced over Fang's statement, rolling her eyes dramatically.  
"If that's the case, get lost. I don't need pity!"

"Whoa, that's quite a grumpy one I'm looking at," the dark-haired muttered with a playful wink, shifting her weight from one leg to the other before she strolled ahead, slipping one arm along Lightning's back, pulling her with herself. The female soldier felt far too taken by surprise to complain; instead she followed suit, her finely curved eyebrows narrowed. No, she really didn't like that situation, the way Fang touched her like- this.

"I'd be thankful if you stopped treating me like a clueless kid…"

"Now, really? Did I just treat you like a child? Oh my, I'm sorry…"

Fang's voice contained a lot of tease, but the way she had whispered it into Lightning's ear… so soft and delicate, nearly purring each vocal, left the solder in unease and confusion. Another one of the Oerban's tricks to lead her on?

"Stop teasing me like that," the pink-haired retorted gruffly. But instead of moving out of Fang's reach, she stayed close.

"I actually wasn't teasing you, soldier. Just wanted to cheer you up."

This time it had been the tall warrior who broke their fragile contact, staying behind Lightning with a thoughtful expression.

"But you know… just imagine I'm not talking to you now, but to somebody else,"

Fang arched her neck, staring into the sky that has started to change its color from brightest azure to warm, blazing shades of orange and gold, the view interrupted by single clouds glowing in lightest shades of pale pink.

"Even a knight in shining armor is a human of flesh and blood, protected by steel. Even a soldier, coldblooded and supposed to think clear, is a human with a weapon in his hand. Humans get hurt, they bleed and die, they fade away in the comforting breeze of the atmosphere. Use the time you have, soldier. Hold your head up high and smile... If not for yourself, then do it for me..."

Lightning pretended not to listen, but… each word coming from the Oerban warrior's lips, shook her insides like an earthquake. She was right. The soldier hated to admit it, but Fang was completely right! A little smile crept up on the doll-like face.

And then she turned around, offering her companion a smile so ghostly and subtle, barely apparent on usually icy features.

"This is only for you," she whispered, her voice still vibrant enough to Fang's ears. The addressed woman smiled in return, ruffling her hair.

"I wish it was wider, though!", she complained with a playful undertone.

"Then... make me."

Fang snorted, picking up her pace.

"Come on, we shouldn't lose track! They are so far ahead that I can't see them anymore!"

Lightning nodded and accelerated, running after her.


	2. Chapter 2

The female soldier couldn't tell anymore how much time had passed yet, but one thing was sure: On Grand Pulse, periods moved at a different pace. The sky remained in blazing colors for a felt eternity, illuminating the canyon and water with a golden ray. The high weeds gleamed mysteriously and Lightning felt the everlasting warming beams of sunlight on her skin. It made her think of Cocoon and the amazing sundown she could watch from the window of her house in Bodhum every evening; it never stayed on for long and once the flaring disc disappeared behind the horizon, she looked forwards to the next dusk. The colors… the mood, everything about that daily event had something that comforted the soldier, a feeling when the actual sunlight hours came to an end – the dark blanket of night sky would embrace her and put her to sleep. The pink-haired woman looked up, arched her neck and wondered about how many hours they had travelled until they finally arrived at the discussed safety point.

The party had stopped at an area she would have called a glade. Surrounded by cliffs, the spot offered a good cover and appeared to be a caldera, probably created by a Fal'Cie centuries ago. Right now, the soldier felt first signs of fatigue; pushing her hands against her knees to support her upper body, a deep exhale followed. Even if she went through hard training in the army to increase endurance and strength, the woman couldn't walk on like this forever. Lightning felt that she had reached her limits that day, but she knew she hasn't been the only one struggling; she just showed better skills to cover it up. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Hope dropping into the tall standing grass, refusing to move any further. Sazh sat down on a rock, his eyes closed as he tipped his head back. The Chocobo chick flapped with his little wings and landed on the palms of his hands; surely it must have been an endless forced march to him, but despite his age the man caught up as well as he only could. Fang and Vanille on the other hand? Since they had grown up on Pulse, such a stride didn't affect them much. They even joked around; the petite redhead giggled over something while her older companion smiled in content and relaxed fashion, ruffling the short girl's hair in tease.

And… Snow? Ugh. Really, she could care less about him, but… the second she even thought about his name, her glance sought his appearance. And THERE he was. The "rebel-to-be" man stretched his arms, sighing deeply and removing his bandana; he shook his head, a flood of long blonde hair hid his face during the process. Lightning only grimaced at that view. Serah might have liked it, but… no. Maybe the woman was quite frumpy in her views, but this guy needed a haircut. BADLY. She couldn't see anything really likeable about him, even after all this time they've been fighting together and… well, tried to reconcile their differences in a more constructive way. Constructive? Lightning tilted her head, only snorting at her antics. Their face-off from before SURELY had been anything ELSE than helpful; so what did her sister actually see in this prick?

That superficial bad boy – image, literally stamped on his getup, filled to the brim with an overdose of self-confidence and actually thinking to be everybody's pal?

Really? That guy, who blew out more empty promises and hot air than the Sanctum? The guy, who was actually SPEECHLESS after their fight with Barthandelus, forced to find out that they all were just TOOLS in a higher sort of chess-game? This had been the fist time Snow's trap was shut as tightly like a nailed door…

Absently, Lightning clicked her fingernails together, the expression of her eyes turned numb and absent-minded.

No. Maybe it had been one reason of many others though. His appearance was explanation enough to protect her; no other guy would have even dared getting closer to her sister with him by her side. So… has it been only an earmarked purpose? She doubted it. Serah might have chosen him to get revenge on Lightning neglecting her that much in the last time. Since the pink-haired woman went into her career as a soldier they have seen each other only in the mornings for breakfast – and sometimes, on her days off. Clearly, this wasn't enough. The realisation came soon. But since Serah never brought it up and still did well at school, Lightning never saw the necessity to ask and kept thinking that things were alright. She should have known that her younger sister felt lonely, even if she was surrounded by friends. Family? They had lost it, both of them. But drifting apart had been the biggest loss. Only their surname defined them as "family" though.

On that day as Claire gave up her old name and started to call herself Lightning, it had sealed their fate. The big sister took care of everything her parents had to do, at the same time she had to raise her younger, more fragile-looking sibling. The soldier sacrificed so many child-like wishes and dreams, forcing herself to grow up and become accepted as a young adult individual that didn't need help – no matter how MUCH they would have needed it in the end. There were things a girl her age simply couldn't manage and still, somehow she went through it with all the responsibility weighing heavily on her shoulders.

Speaking of shoulders…

Lightning shifted, her eyes narrowed in pain as she tried to lift them. She hardly felt able to move; but the moment as several pairs of eyes were attached to her, the woman forced herself into a blank gaze and straightened herself. They noticed that something was wrong, that much was obvious. The group just couldn't tell what. Why did they have to stare like that?

"Light?"

She turned her head, a tad too quick. The pulsating ache numbed her senses to a certain degree, but the woman decided to swallow that bit of emotion down, turning her attention to the person behind her instead. Vanille.

"Lightning?"

The soldier snapped out of her train of thoughts.

"What's the matter?", she asked lowly, any kind of emotion was washed away from her voice and facial expression. The petite redhead hid her hands behind her back; striking grass green eyes were attached on her counterpart with a questioning look residing in them.

"A Gil for your thoughts?"

Umph. Had it been so evident? Clearly, it gave the impression. Lightning managed a ghostly nod, adding a faint "Nothing" to her dramaturgy. The fragile Oerban, however, wasn't that easy to impress and shoo away – not as easy as Hope. She needed to remember that.

"Fang wants you to show up, that's what I came for in the first place…"

Fang? Why did she send Vanille? They were in the same area, so…

"What does she want?"

Lightning pushed the palm of her left hand against her right shoulder, fingertips pressing against it to feel out the tension of each muscle. A silent crack rushed through her system and eyes narrowed for a moment, a low hiss escaping her throat.

"Uhm…," the girl started, shifting her weight from one leg to the other before she put up a wide smile. "I guess, she needs your help to get some food. She's at the stream, not too far from here. You remember the place with the overturned tree? I bet she's waiting for you over there!"

"I see."

The pink-haired woman had to collect her composure once again.

"Thanks for the info, Vanille! I… only wonder, why she didn't go hunting with you instead."

"Wee~ll", the redhead piped up and tilted her head to the side, "I think she wants to talk to you. Face -to- face. Probably about that thing with Snow, I guess?"

Lightning's jaw tensed slightly as she gritted her teeth.

"…Right. I should go before it's getting dark. Tell the others to build up the camp in the meanwhile!"

"Don't leave her waiting! Fang can be quite… impatient…", the Pulsian replied cheekily; turning on her heel, Vanille made her way to Hope, sitting down next to him for a little chat.

Even if Lightning felt completely out of power, she couldn't just rest like the others. There was something called responsibility for the group and the woman simply HAD to fulfil this duty, nothing more, nothing less. Organizing food couldn't have been so much trouble here on Pulse, right? On their way to the safety point, she had seen many creatures lurking in the shadow. The chances to find something edible existed, most likely. And since Fang and Vanille knew this area better than anyone else, they wouldn't need to starve. Her fingers tapped lightly against the holster of her Gun blade; steel blue colored eyes trailed off into the distance, lingering on a point at the horizon. She tapped her foot against the earth, getting ready to leave as she put her hand on the blade's hilt.

Lightning trudged through the weeds, trying to set her mind on different things than her sore body. The sky has become a little darker by now, hadn't it? She paid some more attention to it, feeling the grass tickling her bare legs. The soldier had decided to walk through wild vegetation, ignoring the ancient trail for now. Since the opportunity had offered itself, she just wanted to be herself; on her own, enjoying the beauty which people of Cocoon would only call "hell" in disgusted fashion.

Fingers touched, caressed the blades of grass in absence, her gaze focused on high growing flowers and their petals, flashing up in brightest red. She was wrapped up in thoughts; the way how weeds felt on her fingertips soothed the pink-haired woman. Why would humans call this place… hell? Sure. It was far away from civilized existence, not as progressive and neoteric as the planet she had called her home ever since. But this terrain in front of her, with all its untouched, rough beauty and freedom, appeared like a painting out of a children's book. She never had seen such a place on Cocoon and right, at this moment, Lightning could understand Vanille and Fang being so glad to be… back. She could imagine that both must have experienced a cultural shock. So many humans, different architecture and surroundings, even the smell and taste of food seemed to be diverse since Lightning noticed Fang's "unhealthy" affection towards salt in her food a while ago.

Right now, the female soldier felt the same way, tossed into a world she didn't know. The wind carried various sounds from several directions, whistling close to her ear. The grassland started to move with each breeze, creating unique and bizarre patterns in front of her. Lightning's lips warped to a faint smile, strangers wouldn't have even noticed that little change in her usually controlled facial expression. She felt like a child, exploring all the things that came ahead. And nobody would see her like that, thinking of her as a sentimental and weak fool. There was… only one person she would have loved to share this experience with.

Serah.

As the name shot into her mind, the throb came back. The soldier shifted her shoulders, rolled them with an exerted gaze. Right! She wasn't here to keep on dreaming, as alluring the thought had been. God, how was she even supposed to fight without screaming? Maybe the upcoming adrenaline would numb her senses to a certain degree; she looked forward to it.

At a shorter distance, she could already hear that familiar sound of the stream they had walked across before. Her steps quickened all the more until she fell into a collected run. Surely, it wouldn't have made a difference when her trip took a few minutes more. But Lightning's focus went on "business" – which automatically came together with "food". If she already felt hungry, the rest of the group must have been close to STARVATION. And even if Vanille knew some edible plants, it never would have been enough for a group of men, equipped with an appetite like a horde of Adamantoises. A smug grin flit over her lips at that thought.

The scenery changed, from the tall-grown, golden weeds to an indefinable muddy ground, meshed together with gravel and smaller rocks. Each step felt different, granting her orientation and a feel to the territory she was walking on. The last part, however, was a rampant section leading up to a viewpoint. From there, it would be easy to find the Oerban huntress, right?

-

It was simply breathtaking. Walking up that path had been worth it; the view nearly made the pink-haired woman forget why she had been here in the first place. Right now, her soreness, her feelings didn't matter, not anymore. The scenery made up for it. Birdlike creatures adorned the sky, painted in vermillion; from her viewpoint, it looked like they were flying towards the lost planet in the sky – closer and closer to Cocoon. Breathing deeply, the female soldier got on her knees, scooping water with her hands from the stream to drink. Her throat felt awfully dry and during the entire walk, she had shoved any urges like thirst or hunger away. The fluid was crystal clear and cold as ice – a joy to her atrophied senses.

Quickly, Lightning got on her feet again. Better hurry up, she scolded herself and darted along the gravel bedding, the sound displeased her sense of hearing. But right with the latest flash of adrenaline, it mixed up with her increased heartbeat and created a spurring rhythm. And soon enough, she finally found the object of desires.

At a cataract, Lightning spotted the mentioned tree that has fallen over this part of the stream, held by various sized and shaped rocks. A natural bridge was created, connecting both sides of the river. She slowed down, watching the scenery in front of her.

Fang stood on the weathered, slippery underground. Not only standing, but lurking, eyes barely opened as she watched the streams below; lips parted slightly whenever she inhaled the clear and moist air. The rough power of nature embraced that wild huntress, two avalanches became one. So… this was a person that people from Cocoon would call a… barbarian? A savage, without any education and belief; dear Etro, they all had been wrong. SO wrong! Lightning didn't even dare breaking that fragile contact; she just HAD to watch the Oerban, being in balance with the elements around her.

Fang's hands held the lance in a light and gentle grasp, positioned over her head with the peak pointing downwards; what an unusual sight. If the woman was unaware of her environment, Lightning could have easily disarmed her in not even seconds. Was she… meditating?

Most likely; the tall Oerban predator was as absorbed in her own little world, just as Lightning before; however, she could see a difference. One of them got caught off-guard. The other one focused, brought herself into equilibrium. The female soldier slowed down her movement even more, stalking closer as if she was sneaking up on an enemy. Of course, she only did it so Fang wouldn't be disturbed by any noise, but… who knew if she hasn't already spotted her?

For a single moment, her eyes moved and Lightning could have sworn that a pair of viridian green flashes had pierced her mercilessly with a typically sly smile. She dared another, closer look. No. Surely it had been her imagination. Nothing about the woman's stance had changed, not in the slightest. She looked relaxed, but by closer examination, the pink-haired soldier was able to spot the prominent veins on the huntress' well-toned arms. Caught by curiosity, the soldier closed the distance between them even more, she was able to hear the constant breathe coming from her taller counterpart. The moment she wanted to step on the log, however, completely changed terms.

Viridian eyes shot open.

It didn't even last seconds. Lightning only watched the Oerban's body tense and change her posture; extending and flexing her arm, she tossed the lance with unknown drive and power. The weapon cut the air like a red flash, followed by a cracking sound that reminded the soldier of scattered armours and a screech that set everyone's teeth on edge. Lightning's senses were alarmed and like on unspoken command, her hand shifted to the holster and pulled out the Gun blade.

Prowling down the lift, the following silence was eerie; only the rushing stream reached her ears. However, Lightning didn't believe that the creature was already dead. She had seen and experienced the powers of Pulse's beings, and Fang's attack could have been only the beginning of something that could easily get out of control. Once she had reached the end of the trail, the woman noticed the water colored in bright red. But… where was the target? Only a shadow, moving too fast to be actually seen; the soldier didn't waste time, jumping on a rock to get a better view. Her heartbeat increased as her grip tightened around the Gun blade's hilt, her knuckles turned nearly white from the power and intensity. There! She saw the flitting scheme again, this time it shot into her direction.

A giant shadow leapt out of the water, scales glinting in dim light; blood and water emerged, dripping down the slimy body…


	3. Chapter 3

Her eyes widened and the soldier jumped backwards in time as an enormous shadow darkened the sky above her and landed plumply on its feet. Scanning the monster, she noticed its enormous jaw and a set of razor-sharp teeth at first sight. A pair of external, lurid yellowish gills was exposed with the intention of scaring – at least impressing the pink-haired opponent while the forked tail lashed agitatedly above the ground, slashing small rocks in perfect ease. She fought many creatures on Gran Pulse, even this kind – but by now, this was the biggest Ceratoraptor she had seen. It left her in wonder though. Weren't these creatures supposed to lurk in the caves of Sûlyya springs? The teal and yellowish coloured scales glistened matte in dim twilight; they were already covered in blood. The creature's shrill screech of agony and anger set the soldier's teeth on edge as her gaze searched her companion's presence, sprinting down the rest of the pathway with the giant right behind her back.

Fang was out of sight. But the woman didn't have time to think about the Pulsian's whereabouts. The longer she waited, the more energy returned into the amphibian's body as is chased her with giant leaps; it wore the creature out though, each gurgling intake of breath caused blood to splutter out of the gaping wound the lance had caused before. A critical damage. And still, the monster's stamina was impressive enough to take another blow. Lifting and spreading the spikes on his back, it started paddling forwards clumsily; it was obvious that such critters preferred water habitats, dark and moist places. They moved sedately on dry land and went on searching for their natural ground to turn the tables. Lightning only seemed to wait for this moment. Dashing ahead, she skipped onto a rock and released the lock of her Gun blade, aiming between the monster's eyes.

The bullets slipped off the strong armoured head, hitting the ground instead; it left the soldier baffled. Hastily she changed her stance and leapt into the air once more, pulling the trigger and blasting almost half of the magazine against a body that seemed to be made of steel. The wished effect didn't come to light. Several bullets were blocked and crashed into every other obstacle next to the beast while it croaked and came closer. Sooner or later the monster would choke on it's own sanguine. Wasting ammo was useless at this stage already. But she didn't want to stand still and be the dumb one, leaving the whole victory to the Oerban huntress.

Furrowing her brows Lightning dashed into the air, transforming her weapon as she landed onto the Ceratoraptor's back and buried the blade into the external gills. The scaled back was slippery and coated in slime, hard to keep her balance on it; the blank steel carved its way deeper into the sensitive organs, hitting the bones and muscles which protected the vitals from being harmed. Bucking underneath its enemy the monster tried hard to get the female soldier off its back, hopping helplessly to the edge of the cliff. Lightning had a faint idea where this was leading to and with a choked hiss she twisted and rotated her weapon, shutting her eyes tightly as she felt the heat building up inside her chest – snaking through her veins to the hands that held the weapon in a firm grip. The soldier could feel the flaring energy materializing in her fingertips, seeking the easiest way to escape and cause heavy damage through the blade. A rumble went through her body as her lips formed a barely audible command.

Firega!

With a loud growling sound the fireball imploded right in the Ceratoraptor's weakest spot, for a moment Lightning could smell the burnt flesh, feel the painful quivers and tremors underneath. The monster reared and managed to throw the woman off, causing her body to make a heavy impact with the earth underneath where stones scraped her skin and cut it open.

Scorched from the inside an upset cry escaped the creature's mighty vocal chords; a fountain of red covered the way it had been dragging itself along, instinctively searching for water to ease the unbearable pain that kept building inside its bowels. It barely made it to its natural habitat and collapsed on the rocks with a distorted croak as the last breath escaped its system, the blackened smoke emerging from the external respiratory organs.

The woman on the ground clutched the Gun Blade's hilt until her knuckles went white, inhaling deeply as the defeated monster didn't move any longer. Hazily she kept watching the embers floating through the air, carried away by a breeze that told her of well known safety. Her legs trembled lightly as Lightning finally got on her feet again, securing the blade and transforming it back into the usual form to store it in the holster. She tipped her head back, feeling dirty and disgusted by the mess in front of her. Probably Fang would sit somewhere and laugh at her dilettantish attempt of hunting their food. And indeed there was a faint laugh in the distance.

"I thought you'd kill it faster than this! Poor thing. I rather should have finished it by myself!"

The huntress hopped down the path in ease, tucking chaotic fringes of hair behind her ear while the braid swung playfully with each step.

"Yeah. You should have. Bullets didn't work on these scales, just to state the obvious..." Lightning frowned and approached the beast again, pulling violently at one of the scales to remove it, hissing at it still glowed in heat that radiated from the corpse. This material was alien indeed as she turned it between her fingers to examine it. They appeared to be light but seemed to be as hard as Mithril. No... guns couldn't affect it in the slightest.

"Of course they don't work, silly! You could have used Deprotes instead~"

Fang cackled and moved to the gigantic Ceratoraptor, lifting a brow.

"Heh, that's one huge bugger. That should do for at least a few days!", she hummed happily and pulled a dagger out of her boot, making a first long cut starting from the gills along its side. She clearly knew the weak points of this creature, cutting through the scales smoothly to reveal the flesh underneath the natural armour – only to knit her brows in disapproval when a stale and charred scent greeted her bluntly. Most of the flesh reminded more of coal than actual food itself. Geez! What a waste! The huntress didn't notice Lightning stalking back and forth, anger all too apparent and written over her face as she gritted her jaw in agitation.

"Aren't we funny,"the soldier hissed lowly, "Here is ONE Saboteur and it obviously ain't me."

Fang only turned her head and sneered, pursing her lips in mockery.

"I thought you're a soldier! Then why are you complaining? First you can't even bring yourself up asking me for assistance and now you think you can blame me for your mistakes?"

With a jerky move the Pulsian pulled the sooty, burnt layers of muscled and fat away to expose more of the flesh; a doubtful sigh followed.

"Geez, Light! What have you done? Most of the meat is ruined! This isn't a training dummy but our meal for the next days! It's enough to hit the vitals, not the area around."

Lightning crossed her arms in front of her chest, an annoyed huff followed soon after.

"If my support wasn't good enough then why did you send me in here in the first place?", she snapped coldly, trying to ignore a specific form of guilt dwelling inside her. This was the second time she failed as a leader. It would take her a while to chew on.

"I wonder about that too Lightning. I seriously start wondering."

Fang's voice just sounded as cold, mostly frustrated while her body was shaking in upcoming grief and anger. She tried to focus on dissecting the corpse and tossed the coaled meat almost grumpily onto a pile next to her. It was almost more than the edible parts and she gritted her teeth. What the hell was Lightning thinking? She always thought that Snow wasn't the brightest bulb in the group but slowly her world view shifted violently.

Lightning on the other hand simply stood there, securing the area while she cleaned her blade and nursed herself. The pain in her shoulder made the woman flinch, she only realized it after the violent pulsation of magic stopped throbbing through her veins.

Steel-blue hues scanned the area, making sure that everything was clear before her silent footsteps closed the distance to the huntress. Fang wiped a hand across her sweaty face, the blood and dark tresses of chaotic hair sticking to her skin and giving her a grim expression.

"You don't have to act up like you are above everything and everyone.", Lightning started lowly, dragging a canine over her lower lip, "I know by myself that I screwed up. No need to twist the knife."

"Screwed. Up." Fang scoffed and rolled her eyes, "I'm not talking about a screw up! This ain't a mission – this is reality we're talking about. Ever heard of that word? Come on, repeat it~ Re...a...li...ty!"

The soldier exhaled noisily and straightened herself, stalking into her counterpart's direction.

" Cut it and stop making a fool out of me! I've seen enough of realityon ba ttlefields! I saw crying children and humans running across the streets in panic! They had no food and no home they could have returned to!"

"No food, eh? No home? You know what, "sunshine"? I don't give a flying fuck about that. And do you know why?"

The soldier rolled her shoulders as champagne-coloured strands of hair covered her eyes and hid the challenging yet expectant look which resided in her icy, blank features.

Fang grew SO tired of that bullshit. Now, it was HER turn. Tossing a burnt piece of meat in front of Lightning's feet an almost feral growl escaped her lips; her stance changed into something more threatening as the soldier glanced at the mess in disgust.

"You Cocoonians don't know what it means to hunt your own food! You have your damn Fal'Cie who takes CARE of it! None of you would manage to survive here for at least a day on their own! And do you know why you have your fridges full while we never did?"

Viridian coloured eyes darkened as she simply let out whatever pained and bothered her. It was the heat of the moment, but... could you blame her?

Thanks to the Fal'Cie her tribe had to starve, living from one day to the other. They barely managed to cultivate the nutrient-poor earth around Oerba until mighty claws simply ripped out vegetables and trees, capturing domesticated animals to nurture the enemy on the frightening planet in the sky above and leaving fruitless ground behind. Whole tribes simply rot away of hunger – she couldn't describe it differently. The power of each one faded away like the sunlight at this very moment, covering the sky in first shades of purples and blues.

"Your fucking FAL'CIE stole OUR FOOD! OUR HARD WORK! OUR EXISTANCE! Fruits and vegetables were barely ripe – BAM! It was GONE!"

Fang stepped closer, intimidating the soldier's private space as she snapped her fingers in front of the Cocoonian's nose.

"JUST. LIKE. THAT! "

The Pulsian's voice echoed in the silence, almost shaking the ground – at least it complied Lightning's imagination. She could see the fury in her companion's eyes and stepped back instinctively while she tried her best to stay unimpressed. However... it appeared to be really hard to stand her ground, especially with the realization that Fang was right. The people from Pulse weren't the monsters – her own kind was. And she had been a part of it, completely unaware.

"And there was NOTHING we could do! Instead, children and elders died of starvation! There weren't enough hunters in our tribe any more. They got killed. Wiped away. One by another while they tried to defend our supplies!"

Fang lifted her hands and laughed. However... this laugh didn't speak of amusement any longer. It was so shallow, empty. I didn't mean anything nor did it carry a message.

"Vanille and I – we are the only ones left from a once grand population – thanks to you and your kind!"

Her voice was shaking as she continued her speech, allowing everything to spill that was kept hidden for way too long. Biting down the inside of her cheek, she turned on her heels and continued to tear the Ceratoraptor's flesh apart.

"But hey soldier~", the last word had a strange emphasis to it, a mocking one, "I bet that doesn't really bother you, hu? Are you even moved or touched by anything else than your wounded pride?"

Lightning swallowed deeply and chewed on her thumbnail, not really aware of it. Each word had hit her like a bullet, straight into the heart. Just how selfish did she become over the years?

"I had no clue...", she started, her voice low and without any signs of defence.

Fang looked over her shoulder with furrowed brows.

"Liar.", she hissed and sloppily cleaned the dagger on her belt, making another cut into the leather. "You grew up on Cocoon. YOU should know. You ARE supposed to know." A hoarse laugh followed. "Are you really that blind? Or just that dumb?"

It was enough. Clearly. Lightning stalked behind Fang as she stuffed the dagger back into her boot, gripping her shoulder with almost brutal force.

"Save your breath for later!", she hissed to cut out any complaints, her voice sharp as needles as she turned the woman around to face her.

Just now she saw a betraying wet trail sliding down Fang's cheek. She let go of her in an instant as if she just got burned, taking a few steps back. This was awkward. Really awkward.

Lightning rubbed her face and huffed deeply, slumping her shoulders before unfolding the bags the huntress had carried with her. Everything around them went eerily silent while the Cocoonian woman packed the bloody, exploitable meat into her bag and slowly, Fang followed her example and did the same – still furious and uneasy, ready to explode like a projectile later.

"Look, Fang...," Lightning started once more, trying to de-escalate the situation somehow, "if you want to blame me for all what has happened, it is your god damn right. Just go ahead."

"Do you really think it is that easy, Light?"

Fang stacked the meat hastily into her container since it got already dark around them and nocturnal critters would smell the corpse from afar.

"I never said it would be.", her counterpart answered and shouldered the bag which seemed to weigh tons by now, dripping sanguine.

"But right now, you were spewing all of your accusations into my face. I am not the Fal'Cie who did this to you."

The huntress snorted and tucked sweaty tresses of dark hair behind her ear.

"But your people never stopped them either..."

"Because we didn't know. They kept us as small as possible, dependent on them. A satisfied human wouldn't even dare or bother to ask the wrong questions."

It was the Pulsian's turn to throw her bag over the shoulder, only stopping what she was about to do in an instant. It confused Lightning but she mimicked the movement, holding her breath. Compared to the skilled huntress her sense of hearing left her right now. She could only hear the blood rushing noisily through her ears. But then.. the sound of grass pressed down by weight.

"Shh... do you hear that?", Fang whispered and froze shortly, focusing on the source of faint noises. Heavy paws toddled above the ground, claws outstretched and working like spikes. Fang would have "loved" to go with her rambling but this wasn't the time to do so. Instead she gestured Lightning to follow her behind a group of rocks to hide and watch. It could have been a single Behemoth strolling through the night, lured by the smelly flesh that was piled on the ground.

It didn't take long until the footsteps, snarls and groans became louder and dark silhouettes appeared into the scenery. One was fairly large with a feline-like build. No behemoth. Thank the gods, Fang thought to herself in relief. The last they could have needed was a moody and territorial King Behemoth who surely didn't feel like sharing food. The female soldier recognized the dominating shape immediately. A Gorgonopsid. It was wasn't alone but led the way for a few cubs – probably a female. Lightning wasn't familiar with several species on Pulse but most of the time females were on their own when they took care of the litter. How bitter. It also happened in her childhood.

The adult creature lifted its head; making sure they were unwatched it started sniffing and probing the air. It smelled weird, a stale scent of fire disturbed the Gorgonopsid as it flared its nostrils to suck in air greedily, pulling the lower lip up to split molecules into their components. Looking over its shoulder it growled and caused the young ones to duck and lower their heads in awareness. The leader prowled forwards, lashing the tail in slight agitation, head up and tendons and muscles tensed. Whatever it was, the feline-like creature couldn't identify that certain component. It was new – that much seemed certain.

Fang watched in awe and was distracted from dark thoughts. How long didn't she observe wildlife on the place she had called her home land? She had to stifle a sound of amusement as the cubs followed their mother, visibly clumsy and carefree, stumbling over their own feet and squeaking as one cub pounced the other. Caution was thrown into the wind as they played and romped around the ground like tiny balls of fur. Lightning didn't seem to be that impressed. She tensed and stayed put, moving her hand to the holster – just in case if the mother would actually spot them. The huntress noticed and frowned. Her own hand crept down and grabbed the soldier's wrist to stop her from what she was doing, earning a look that spoke of confusion and unease. Compared to the Pulsian woman the Cocoonian didn't understand that everything was fine. Every animal act cautious around their litter, and it didn't mean they would attack in an instant. Besides – the pile of flesh just seemed too tempting to care any longer about the strange scent wavering from below the path.

The Gorgonopsid's tone changed. No longer did the creature snarl, but this time there was a chirp, encouraging the litter to come closer. The young ones lifted their head, answering with a similar chirping sound before they started to run, right to what must have been a mountain of delicious treats for them. It didn't even last seconds until the bravest one made the first move, trying to pull a chunk of meat out of the pile.

Using the claws on its hind legs like spikes, the cub pulled with a tiny growl until the piece of flesh ripped and the little critter rolled backwards; pushing the treat down with its big paws, the cub started to chew and gnaw noisily. The rest of the litter watched warily before hunger overtook their fear and they literally ambushed the carcass and charred pieces of meat. The adult sat down on the hind legs, watching the environment with perked ears and excellent night vision. It would be hard to get out of this unnoticed.

Lightning barely managed to breathe, the sound of crunching bones and torn flesh set her slightly at discomposure. She was able to deal with human targets, but a situation like this never had been on her training list. Fang on the other hand watched them as if it was the most natural thing ever. She even chuckled as the tiny cubs tried to steal the food from the adult. Her expression changed as the soldier cocked her head to gather her attention.

"What is it? You know they can hear us...", Fang murmured, her voice close to her companion's ear.

"I know you would rather watch them all night but we have people waiting for food – in case you've forgotten..."

"I didn't forget. But it's better to wait for a better moment. She could feel threatened if we tried to move now."

Lightning shrugged and stretched her legs.

"Going to be a long night then, right?"

Fang nodded and tugged the little pendant of her necklace which had been shaped like a stylized drum. The soldier always had wondered about the meaning of this jewellery. The rainbow-coloured beads were just an example. Did that mean she was...? Lightning's thoughts trailed off. Maybe the setting of colours had a different meaning on Pulse, maybe it didn't mean anything and just were a coincidental result of a creative crafter. She ruffled her champagne locks and kept a dry laugh to herself. As a soldier she would have never wasted a single thought to such unimportant topics.

Here, on Gran Pulse, everything was supposed to have a certain importance. And the longer she watched the wild yet graceful huntress, more and more of those indifferent thoughts haunted her mind. Her gaze lingered a little too long on luscious and inviting lips, on amygdaline shaped eyes which made her look like a feline herself. What caught her the most was the colour of the Pulsian's eyes – a deep sort of petrol, more of viridian. Nobody on Cocoon had green eyes – or whatever could count as green. It was a trait that distinguished Pulsian beings from Cocoonians. Who knew if they also had blue, brown or grey eyes? With only two survivors, she would never find out.

Why the hell did she waste her time with train of thoughts like these? Instead, Lightning focused on their rather monosyllabic dialogue.

"... Right."

The dark-skinned woman smirked and ripped her gaze from the Gorgonopsid-family feasting on the rests of the Ceraptoraptor.

"You always say that when you're insecure~"

"Shut up..."

Fang snorted.

"Right."

The female soldier frowned.

"Stop mocking me."

She crossed her arms in defence and curled up against the rock. Fang silenced and chuckled softly.

"Yeah, yeah."

For a while, both would only hear crunching bones and growls, chirps and even a tiny belch that must have come from one of the cubs.

"I wonder if the rest of the group is starving by now...", Lightning started and rested her palms on her kneecaps.

"Prolly not, "Fang answered lowly, "they have Vanille. She's good at improvising."

The pink-haired sighed and rubbed her calves, meeting the Pulsian's gaze.

"She means a lot to you, does she?"

The huntress nodded faintly and lowered her lids.

"Vanille means the world for me. She's all I have you know?"

Lightning lowered her gaze and examined her gloves thoughtfully.

"I understand that. Serah is my world too. I'd do everything to save her, to see her again."

She glanced up into the night sky and watched the stars in silence. They seemed to glow so much brighter here. Cocoon's technology swallowed the lights around, but at this place they offered an intensity she never had seen before.

Lightning didn't notice that Fang watched her the whole time as well, ignoring the Gorgonopsids and the stunning sky. Whatever she had focused right now had offered more beauty than Pulse could ever do...


	4. Chapter 4

Hope sat at the camp fire and pulled his legs close to his body. Staring into the flames the troublesome event from before didn't let go of his mind. He knew that Lightning and Snow would never become best friends, but this fight only seemed to be the peak of an iceberg made of held back anger towards each other. Well... most of that resentment came from the female soldier and to some extend it was her right to be mad. But still. He didn't know the entire story. It only could have had something to do with the crystallized girl. How was her name? Right, Serah.

Lightning's sister, Snow's fiancée. How could that even fit together? Long, sleek fingers tugged the cords of his cargo pants in absence, the train of thoughts was too beguiling and the young boy got carried away easily.

He secretly wondered what caused this tensed relation between the soldier and the leader f the rebellious group called NORA. Knowing his big mouth by now, Hope could only think of one conclusion; Snow must have behaved unfavourable in front of the stoic soldier and she told him off. The beginning of the end. Knitting his eyebrows, the boy lowered his head and silvery strands of hair covered his face. He only kept wondering if there was a single thing he could do to stop the war of both squabblers. He knew that Lightning was able to soften down to a certain degree. Walking through Gapra Whitewood showed him that she actually cared; that the soldier wasn't only a soldier but a woman too. She reminded him a bit of mother once her gentle side, the faint smile showed up.

How could Lightning live like this? Being cold and calculating, supposed to kill her opponent without questioning the reasons? No. She must have been smarter than that and the boy simply KNEW that she was. Every human had a conscience, even mercenaries did. Hope was aware that each individual possessed a different awareness about right or wrong. Still... the imprint, the education was there to realise that killing was wrong, no matter the motive. Lightning taught him that much. She was the one showing the boy that forgiveness was so much harder yet so much more important and necessary.

It wouldn't have helped him to push the dagger into his chest and set Snow's life to an end. Hope realised it soon. His mother would not return if he had only followed his lower instincts. Insanity seemed to be the only reward for avenge – and seeking revenge was always wrong. Teal-coloured eyes gleamed slightly in the shine of hungry flames, a slight shade of orange and yellow clouded his gaze. Being absorbed in his little world like this Hope didn't register Snow walking up and sitting down next to him.

"Hey Hope-", the adult started and sat down next to him, earning a surprised look that made him smile and pat the boy's shoulder.

"Thanks again for what you did for me before. The thing at the canyon I mean."

The younger one swallowed but managed to smile as well, his expression timid and far away from his courageous behaviour he had shown hours before.

"It's alright..." he murmured and tossed a wooden stick into the fire, crossing his legs, "Couldn't let get you beaten up by Lightning."

Snow grinned and tipped his head to the side.

"You know, maybe I deserved it. I wasn't able to protect her precious little sister. No wonder she's still mad at me about it."

Pulling the coat tighter around his body, the fighter looked up at the fiery tower in front of them and sighed.

"It was her fault that Serah ran off. You should have seen her... the way she looked at her own sister once she told her that she became a L'Cie. Her gaze was so cold as if she wasn't a human any more but only... oh well..."

He sighed and saw Hope's eyes widen lightly at that unbelievable accusation the adult just had revealed towards him.

"How would you react if she would have told you 'You'd better be joking. It's my job to get rid of them!'? Serah... she thought she could count on Lightning. But instead she got pushed away."

The boy swallowed and his gaze hardened while he tossed another stick into the fire, this time with more vigour. Hope couldn't believe that the woman he looked up to was able to treat her sibling like that. His view about her "glory" started to change. But why had the mercenary been there for him as he was alone and in need of help?

Anyway... it also was my fault that I didn't stop her from taking off. So in this case... I have my share to carry, as well as she does."

"Mhm..."

Hope's gaze followed his and he kept on thinking.

He was the one who came to Lightning, followed her without complaints even as she told him to go back since she would not take care of a helpless kid. Maybe it had impressed her. It must have been his stubborn behaviour, the will to go on and become stronger, to prove that he wasn't that helpless. Yes. The soldier hated weakness, he noticed it soon. Going through her lessons steeled his mind, thanks to her he was able to focus and think differently. Although, sometimes he had the feeling as if she tried manipulating him, using him as a tool; but then, it only was his imagination. What really made him become nothing else than an instrument was his own rage, that lurking beast in the shadows that waited for the perfect moment to strike. At Palumpolum, he had his chance to lash out, to make Snow pay for the loss he had caused. Hope had matured enough to drop the weapon, to show that he stood above his instincts. He went through a metamorphosis that made him open his eyes and look at things from a different point of view.

And still. Snow's views shook his world to the core and the introverted boy was out of words to tell. HE didn't even know what to say, how to defend her, how to react in any way.

Snow wasn't stupid. He could see that Hope had to chew on it and for a single moment he even felt sorry for bringing it up. That poor kid went through enough crap to begin with. The fighter failed in saving a woman and carried the heavy burden on his shoulders without even knowing that the silver-haired woman had been Hope's mother. Picking up a wooden stick, the blonde stared idly at it before he tossed it into the flame which devoured the branch hungrily. Eerie silence hovered over them like a tempest, only the faint crack of burning wood produced a diminishing background of sound.

"Guess that kinda shocked you, huh? But... this is how I know her. Serah told me that she has a different and caring side too. It's just hard to believe when you never get to see it."

Hope shook his head with a faint smile and tipped his head back.

"I saw it. She isn't that bad."

Snow faced him and stretched his limbs with a slight shrug.

"Well, I guess your puppy license saved you," he responded with a grin, "... women fall for that. Big eyes, fluffy hair, being clumsy and - cute... yep."

The boy paled before his face heated up in remarkable crimson. Waving his arms in protest he slipped away from his taller counterpart.

"What are you implying there?"

"Uhm... nothing?" The blonde man faced him in surprise. "I just said that she didn't kick your butt because you are all fragile and... stuff? Girls like that..."

What the hell was Snow trying to tell him? Hope scratched his head and glanced around helplessly. Where was everyone and why didn't they save him from this embarrassment?

There was a faint snoring sound in the background. It only could have been Sazh, and the boy was right. The dark-skinned man sat a little away from them with crossed arms and shifted his weight against the rough surface of a withered rock, snoozing to pass some time until dinner.

The Chocobo chick flapped its wings and chirped loudly as it popped out of the pilot's afro, looking around in curiosity. While the group set up the camp fire the tiny bird hid in his favourite spot. But now while all the sounds died down, he fluttered towards the male group by the fire. Vanille was missing. Probably she went out to collect some other food, berries and herbs. The weapon wasn't around as well, she must have carried it with herself, just in case. The petite Pulsian seemed way too weak and fragile to fight on her own, but a Munchkin or Verdelet – or any other smaller critter didn't seem to be a big business for her. The redhead grew up on this world after all!

Deciding that Hope's hair looked like an appropriate place to stay and rest the chick landed right on the boy's head with a cheery twit. Snow watched the occurrence with a muffled laughter.

"See? The chicks really dig you!"

Hope huffed and crossed his arms, slipping away from the tall-grown man. How. Funny. Rolling his eyes to glance up, he met the chick's gaze and scrunched his eyebrows. Memories came back at this very moment.

Yes - That day when his mother took him to Bodhum city for shopping. The Pet Shop. And the baby Chocobos. The boy always wanted one of the tiny chicks and he was sure that his mum had been able to read his mind. Who knew? Maybe she would have surprised him one day. There was a certain shimmer in his eyes as thoughts passed by and his gloved hands formed a nest, an unspoken invitation for the critter. Tilting its head in wonder the chick hopped down his head, right into welcoming hands. The leather felt different than his hair, but it didn't seem too bad. A bit like Sazh's jacket, only a different smell; not like the chick cared at all.

The boy's thumbs slowly reached out and stroke the soft feathers, developing a little routine which eased his mind until dinner was ready; and a new distraction occupied him until he'd fall asleep.

Snow dropped onto the grass and watched the sky in mild interest. Shoving a hand into the pocket of his coat, his fingers could feel the flawless consistence of the bluish crystal tear in his hand. It was the last thing that remained of Serah. The fighter could feel her love, her energy pulsing in the crystallized essence and he squeezed his eyes shut as he pulled out the fragile construct, only to open his greyish hues again, a melancholic expression residing in them. Lifting up the tear-shaped gem, the man watched the moonlight's reflection creating bizarre and unique patterns, opalescent streams; Snow was sure that a part of his beloved lived and breathed in the little reminiscent piece of mineral.

Inhaling deeply he hid the crystal in his coat again, close to his heart. As if it had an own pulse, he felt a certain rhythm, a faint heartbeat; it was a little faster than his before it slowed down and matched his own beat.

"Serah..." he murmured, the weakness took over his mind and cast a silent spell on him. No longer was he the leader of NORA, no longer a fighter. Now he was only a man, a lover who felt this hole in his heart without his beloved fiancée. Was a hero supposed to feel this way? A hero didn't know pain, right? He would strut forwards, saving the world and day.

Didn't that sound like the biggest bullshit ever? Slowly, Snow had a faint clue of how annoying his speeches must have been to the other members of the group. Thinking that it would be the perfect motivation the fighter simply ignored Lightning's attempts to shut his mouth. Nobody wanted to hear that.

A thin smile flitted across his face. Yeah. To be honest, he couldn't hear his hero-speeches the same way any longer. To some extend, Snow even felt grateful that his sister-in-law-to-be kicked his three letters. Acting like a prima donna didn't change the source of the problem. He just... couldn't admit it. The blonde should have known better. Was he really just a container of hot air?

Nora's death proved it. Thanks to him she ran into her death, leaving a family behind. Her son walked among him in silence while the turmoil threatened to take control of the fragile looking boy. Snow shook his head. Without Gadot, Yuj, Lebrau and Maqui he was on his own after all. Well, not really. There were five other humans that shared their fate together, connected by the strings of Lady Luck as Fang used to say; he still didn't have an imagination how "Lady Luck" looked like, if she was a Fal'Cie too or just a very colourful metaphor used by Pulsians. Anyways, it only mattered little. He had to stay strong and hold on. His dearest friends and especially his beloved deserved a new tomorrow, a world to live on.

Scratching his chin the man stretched on the ground and found the stubbles on his skin becoming extremely irritating. Well, if you were on a journey, most likely on an escape – who would bother to pack a razor? It was interesting how quick his mind shifted from really important concerns to matters with little value. Trusting his ears, the man could only hear the breeze whistling through the weeds, also Sazh's snoring. From time to time, there was a howl he couldn't identify. One of the wild animals on Pulse? He didn't know them all, just the ones they fought for now.

Wait a minute- his eyes popped open.

There were faint footsteps. He could hear the dry grass from the pathway, not too far from them. One person. No. Two of them.

As if on unspoken command, Snow lifted his head to locate the source of sounds. So, they were back? Took them long enough, he murmured to himself. Something seemed different though. A certain tension lingered in the air.

Did Fang get struck by Lightning too? He couldn't help but to smirk over the bad pun. But the Oerban huntress really looked out of her usual self and the man couldn't help but to wonder. For now it only seemed to be smart if he kept his jaw shut and talk to one of them – obviously not Lightning – later this night. Instead he kept watching the women, Lightning's stern expression and Fang's blank face as she tipped her head back. So, his only reaction was to wave nonchalantly.

"Hey ladies! How was the hunt?"

While the soldier hurried to the empty space of the camp fire and dropped the bag, Fang marched up with a grin and held up the container with meat. However she managed to switch her mood from blank to enthusiastic, Snow didn't know. It didn't seem all too authentic to him, but the man reminded himself of his made up credo: Shut up... shut up...

"Pretty good! I hope you're hungry guys!"

"Hungry indeed. I guess Hope is ready to swallow the Chocobo in a whole soon. Look at his hungry eyes~"

Fang laughed shortly and paid attention to the odd couple. Usually Vanille spent so much time with the chick, but then. Speaking of...

Where was that girl?

She let her eyes wander, from Snow to Hope and Lightning taking her spot by the fire, up to Sazh who just woke up and stretched his limbs in little discomfort. No sight of her red-haired companion. A slight amount of panic crept up her mind as she turned around. If the girl really wandered off, their paths must have had crossed at least at the entrance of the caldera, right?

"Where is Vanille?" she asked into the round. Snow looked at her dumbfounded as usual; Hope shrugged a helplessly at her question. Only the pilot of the group seemed to have a suspicion as he got on his feet with a low groan, arching his spine.

"She told me that she'd leave to collect some food. But yeah... she's already gone for a while now."

Viridian hues met dark-brown eyes in scepsis.

"Why didn't anyone go with her?"

Fang's voice was close to a dangerous snap, making the older man flinch at her threatening expression. The Oerban huntress really was concerned about her friend and for a moment he cursed himself that he didn't listen to that inner voice which told him to give her company.

"I didn't think she'd need company. Vanille grew up here and I'm sure she doesn't stray too far from here..."

"You are 'sure' of it?"

Ruffling dark and chaotic tresses, Fang spun around and turned on her heel. Didn't she have enough to deal with already? Come on! Biting her lower lip, the tall-grown huntress stalked off, pretty sure that her closest companion must have walked up that little path winding up a hill. She could remember that many herbs, flowers and berries grew on the way. But it was cramped with nasty critters during night time. Well, shit. If Vanille would get harmed on her little trip someone had to pay for it. And she wouldn't care who it was.

Without another word, she took off with wide strides.

"VANILLE!"

Lightning cocked her head and her gaze followed the huntress rushing up the path. She was still angry, wasn't she?

"Hands off the meat Snow! We wait until everyone is here at the fire!"

The female soldier could hear Hope's complaints as the blonde giant leaned over to peek at the bags with meat. Her own hunger was more than evident; still she curled up and lowered her lids, trying to regain her energy. Getting away from the Gorgonopsids clearly had not been the issue that robbed her powers. Walking back in awkward silence felt like heavy weight on her shoulders. She had noticed before that there was something between her and Fang. Something that connected them like an invisible thread.

It was barely perceptible. There were a few characteristics both actually had in common, yet they seemed so different from each other; Different in heritage, temper, origins while their goals were the same. Whatever Lightning drew closer to the untamed woman she couldn't decipher yet.

Then WHY did she behave like the biggest idiot on this planet?

Steel-blue eyes glared impassively at the fireplace, waiting to the heat to melt her insides. It was hard to open up, to react more sensitive towards all of them. The Guardian Corp had shaped her personality into a level she had no more awareness of. Unconsciously she pulled out the dagger she had given to Hope before, staring at it in silence while the men actually talked to each other since they were awake and hungry. Lightning stayed out of the conversation and played with the knife's blade by folding and unfolding it. The warm light radiating from the fire created reflections on the blank steel and added a spirited touch to it - A soul if only to say so. No, Lightning didn't believe into something as whimsical as spirits, souls or ghosts.

The voices around her died down, little by little. The men were tired, she could tell that much. Probably they would even fall asleep and forget about their need to eat something. No like she cared that much. The soldier was used to her sacred solitude.

Well, sacred? Cursed was a term others would use. Not her. The real curse was emblazoned on her chest. The Brand of L'Cie. A cruel stigma telling her that they were running out of time, doomed to fail and turn into Cie'th. They had to do their best and fulfil their focus, not knowing about the consequences yet. Still... how were they supposed to achieve their goals when they couldn't even keep the group together?

Lightning sighed and tugged her hair, glancing behind her as she heard faint foot steps. Fang pulled Vanille after her, cursing lowly while the petite redhead seemed cheerful as usual, carrying a leather bag filled with all kinds of herbs, even fruits. An intense smell wavered into the soldier's direction and it took a lot of self-control to keep her stomach from growling impatiently.

"If you wander off once more without telling me I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

The threat didn't affect Vanille much; she giggled and squeezed Fang's hand lightly.

"You told me the same old story since we were kids and you never punished me for strolling off~", she answered cheekily and stuck out her tongue.

"Watch it Missy. You're about to earn some spanking tonight!"

The huntress couldn't stay serious. The thought of dragging the girl over her knee and spank her rear like the matrons used to do was way too vivid to actually deny it. With a hoarse laughter she walked along to the fireplace, freezing for a second as her gaze caught sight of Lightning who seemed to be absorbed in thoughts once more. Same old story, right? Pushing the braid over her shoulder the tall woman sat down next to her while her younger companion opened the meat bags and almost squealed in happiness. The petite girl obviously couldn't wait to prepare all the goods and roast it over the fire. Rubbing her hands in delight she risked a glance towards her friend and lifted a brow. To see her sitting like that next to Lightning was new. Well... not entirely new but something seemed a little off.

Yeah. The distance had closed between them. Probably the guys wouldn't register, but Vanille had a faint idea. A distant person like the soldier wouldn't allow anyone to stay that close, except...

Fang got on her feet and her hand lingered on Lightning's shoulder a second longer than expected. The redhead knit her brows but tried her best to stay her usual self. Pulling out some pieces or meat her eyes went searching. Didn't they have a plate or anything similar to put the raw flesh on? The huntress approached silently and peeked over Vanille's shoulder.

"You look a bit troubled Van... what's bothering you?"

The girl squeaked and almost dropped the stack she had pulled out of the container. Shaking her head she collected her composure quickly enough to put on a little smile.

"Nothing~ but Fang? Where are the cooking utensils?" Shrugging helplessly she trusted her childhood friend to help out. And as usual, she didn't get disappointed. The dark-skinned woman pointed at a group of rocks next to the ancient camping point that had been covered with a withered blanket.

"It's all in the small cave behind. How could you forget that silly?"

Scratching her head in slight embarrassment the redhead grinned sheepishly.

"I've been asleep for 500 years, what did you expect?"

"Heh – I've been asleep for the same time and I still know!" Inching closer, Fang bumped her fist teasingly against the girl's shoulder, mostly to startle her.

"Stop being so mean, Fang!"

"Can't help it. Your pouting face is just too cute~"

Vanille puffed her cheeks and turned her back on the grinning Oerban next to her.

"Watch out or the pouting face is going to kick your butt..."

"Love to see you try!"

Ruffling strawberry blonde hair the huntress laughed heartily. And it filled her heart with relief that she had been at least able to find the cooking supply. Any other memory was vanished and blurred, like the brand on her arm. A fleeting glance traced the traces that looked washed out, almost frozen. Vanille had told her that she didn't have any remembrance as well, but she had a certain feeling that her companion didn't suffer from Amnesia. She just couldn't bring it up. Not yet.

"Mind helping me with the meat? The others must be about to starve any moment..." the huntress tilted her head and opened the tiny leather bag to pull out the herbs, "like in good old times..."

Vanille nodded and joined in while the others sat around the camp fire, Snow and Hope talking to each other about certain things. Sazh and Lightning however… each one of them preferred sitting on their own. Compared to the soldier, the dark-skinned man still had his Chocobo chick as company. The woman was content with herself, as usual.

Fang stole a short peep at her while she prepared the meat. Always alone like that, how could Lightning be happy with that situation? She never saw her active or eager in seeking contact.

Seems like it wasn't the worst thing to spend some time with her today, she thought to herself with a low sigh and impaled the raw flesh with an iron spit.

**This one went surprisingly fast O_O wow. Slowly we're getting closer to some real action~******

***unf*******

**Also... I'm working on another story simultaneously; it's called "Sappho's Demise". I think it might be something you guys enjoy, it's darker and more... you know…******

**Anyways, thanks a lot for reading my stories and supporting me!******

**PS: My beta is sick atm, sadly. That's why I ask you to tell me if you can find any nags, it's always appreciated ^^**


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